Student Study Guide
Lesson 7
Faith Toward God
Section 1 - Faith Is Not a Natural Life Force
Section One
Faith has been discussed more than almost any other subject in the church. But there is enormous confusion. This lesson lays a simple, powerful, and liberating doctrinal foundation. Read carefully.
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1. Faith is not of yourselves - it is a of God, not something produced or manufactured by human effort.
2. Common illustrations like sitting in a chair or flipping a light switch are not faith - they are . Faith never fails; hope is uncertain.
3. In Romans 12:1-3, Paul writes to the - believers - saying God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. It is bestowed, not inherent.
4. Faith is identified in Scripture as a of the Spirit and also as a of the Spirit - both pointing to its divine origin.
Why is it actually good news that faith comes from God rather than from within yourself? How does this change the pressure you feel about believing?
Your Answer
Section 2 - What Faith Actually Is
Section Two
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5. The Greek word hupostasis, translated "substance," means an absolute, unwavering - a strong undergirding for things hoped for.
6. The word "evidence" in Hebrews 11:1 literally means a - the ownership document proving something already belongs to you, even before you physically possess it.
7. James 2:20 says faith without is dead - true faith is not passive; it always produces action.
Master Definition:
The Greek word for faith is pistis, which means "fidelity" - loyalty, submission, and commitment to authority.
Faith is loyalty and submission to the authority of God's Word. Write this definition until it becomes yours.
8. Pistis at its root means "fidelity" - to be loyal, submitted, and committed to . This is the core definition of faith throughout the New Testament.
In your own words, explain the difference between faith and hope based on Hebrews 11:1.
Your Answer
Section 3 - The First Person Attributed Great Faith: The Centurion
Section Three
Applying the Law of First Mention: the first person in all of Scripture to whom Jesus directly attributed great faith was not Abraham - it was a Roman centurion. He becomes God's own definition of what faith looks like.
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9. The Roman centurion is the only person in all of Scripture who caused Jesus to .
10. The centurion told Jesus: "I am a man authority" - explaining that his soldiers obeyed not because of his personal power, but because of the authority backing him.
11. The centurion understood that Jesus's authority was - not from Rome, not from Israel, not from any natural realm, but from God Himself.
The Centurion's Insight: He grasped the system of authority: a word spoken under divine authority travels through time and space to accomplish the purpose. He did not need Jesus to come physically. He trusted the authority in the word. That is what Jesus declared to be great faith.
What did the centurion understand about authority that impressed Jesus? How does this contrast with how many people think about faith today?
Your Answer
Section 4 - Faith Is an Authority Issue
Section Four
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12. Repentance (Lesson 6) is yielding to God's authority; faith is in that yielded place consistently. The two foundational doctrines are directly connected.
13. You only have the right to walk in authority when you are authority. The centurion demonstrated this: "I am a man under authority and I have soldiers under me."
14. In the Gospel of John, Jesus states times that the words and works were not His own - perfectly modeling submission to the Father's authority.
Kingdom Principle: Everything in the Kingdom of God operates on the principle of authority. You cannot exercise kingdom authority over sickness, the devil, or any other enemy if you are not submitted to the authority above you.
Faith vs. Common Misconceptions
| What Faith IS | What Faith Is NOT |
|---|---|
| Loyalty and submission to God's authority | A worked-up emotional feeling |
| Acting on the Word of God | Hoping something might happen |
| A gift bestowed by God | A natural life force in all humans |
| An unwavering, certain assurance | Repeating scripture louder until results come |
| Yielding to the authority in God's Word | A complicated spiritual technique or performance |
The centurion said "I am a man under authority." How does being under authority actually increase your authority rather than diminish it? Give a practical example.
Your Answer
Section 5 - Faith Comes by Hearing the Rhema Word
Section Five
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15. "Faith " - not "faith is." This means faith was not already resident inside you; it must arrive from God.
16. The Greek word translated "word" in Romans 10:17 is - a specific, living word spoken by God in a moment (distinct from logos or graphe).
17. God puts the inside the word itself - He does not make the effectiveness of His promises dependent on your emotional state.
Three Greek Words for "Word":
• Logos - the thoughts and substance of God; the written revelation
• Graphe - the written Scripture specifically
• Rhema - a specific word spoken by God in a moment; this is what Romans 10:17 uses, and it carries faith with it
18. The "hearing" in Romans 10:17 does not mean merely hearing with your ears - it means to hear, understand, and then . The hearing God calls for produces action.
Have you ever had a Scripture "come alive" to you in a specific moment - more than just reading it? Describe what happened and how it affected your faith or obedience.
Your Answer
Section 6 - The Faith Is in the Word
Section Six
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19. In Acts 3:16 the word "name" means . The healing came through faith in the authority of Jesus - power resident in the word that was obeyed.
20. Mary's response "Let it be to me according to Your word" (Luke 1:38) is a perfect picture of pistis: she did not analyze or manufacture emotion - she simply to the spoken word of God.
21. God has covenanted to write His Word in our minds and on our - He placed the power of faith inside the Word and promises to put that Word within us.
22. Pastor Paul Yonggi Cho described building the world's largest church this way: "I and I obey." Faith is simply acting on the word - hearing from God and doing what He says.
Summary: Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6) - because without your loyalty, submission, and yielding to His authority, you cannot receive from a kingdom whose authority you are not submitted to. When you yield to His word, the faith in that word is released and the power of God goes to work on your behalf.
Mary said, "Let it be to me according to Your word." Write your own declaration of submission to a specific word or promise God has spoken to you, modeling her response.
Your Personal Declaration
Lesson 7 - Practice Test
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Part A: Multiple Choice (5 questions · 2 pts each)
1. According to Ephesians 2:8-9 and this lesson, faith is best described as:
2. The Greek word pistis (faith) at its root means:
3. Who was the first person in Scripture to whom Jesus directly attributed great faith?
4. In Romans 10:17, the Greek word translated "word" (as in "faith comes by hearing the word of God") is:
5. Mary's response "Let it be to me according to Your word" (Luke 1:38) illustrates faith because she:
Part B: True or False (6 statements · 1 pt each)
1. Sitting in a chair and flipping a light switch are good examples of biblical faith in everyday life.
2. In Romans 12:3, when Paul says God has "dealt to each one a measure of faith," he is speaking specifically to believers, not to all humanity.
3. The Roman centurion impressed Jesus with his emotional passion and desperate pleading for his servant.
4. Jesus demonstrated faith throughout His earthly ministry by living in total submission to the Father's authority and doing only what the Father showed Him.
5. Faith comes by hearing any word from God regardless of whether you understand it or obey it.
6. Without faith it is impossible to please God because faith is the mechanism by which we yield to His authority and receive from His kingdom.
Part C: Fill in the Blank (5 items · 1 pt each)
1. The Greek word for faith, pistis, means "fidelity" - that is, loyalty, submission, and commitment to .
2. The Greek word hupostasis is translated "substance" in Hebrews 11:1 and means an absolute, unwavering .
3. Romans 10:17 says faith by hearing - meaning it was not already inside you; it must arrive from God through His spoken word.
4. Mary's response to the angel - "Let it be to me according to Your word" - is a perfect example of faith as to God's spoken word.
5. You only have the right to walk in authority when you are authority - the kingdom principle the centurion demonstrated.
Part D: Short Answer (completion credit)
1. Explain in one or two sentences why it is impossible to please God without faith, based on what this lesson taught about authority.
2. What made the Roman centurion's faith unique? What did he understand about authority that others did not?
3. Describe the difference between logos, graphe, and rhema, and explain which one Romans 10:17 uses and why it matters for faith.
Part E - Before You Leave
One area where I have been trying to "work up" faith on my own, and how this lesson changes my approach:
A specific word or command from God that I know I need to obey this week - and my declaration of submission to it:
My commitment this week: